


Thunderstorm

by BethanyWritesAll



Series: Thunderstorm [1]
Category: Mutants & Masterminds (Roleplaying Game), Superhero - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Investigation, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Race Against Time, Self Confidence Issues, Villains to Heroes, hero/villain ship, shy character, stutter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-31 20:39:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BethanyWritesAll/pseuds/BethanyWritesAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The superhero team SAFE is called out to apprehend a suspect wrecking the downtown area of Sunrise City. Sprite and the others meet Derecho, a rather unusual villain with an arrogant streak a mile wide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series about my OC from a particularly wonderful M&M campaign with some friends. Derecho, the male protagonist, was introduced into the campaign by the GM, and there were some joking allusions to a possible romance between Sprite and him. Once the campaign ended, prematurely, I decided to take that possibility and write about it. I hope you enjoy it :) PLEASE PLEASE send any constructive criticism to me here or to my tumblr, bethanyofmight.tumblr.com
> 
> Enjoy!

   The piercing distress alarm blared throughout the SAFE house, causing the members of the superhero team to halt their evening activities and race into the briefing room. They arrived in costume, lining up along the back wall to take in the images playing over the enormous screen opposite them. It showed a man wearing a black cowboy hat and a black duster, floating multiple stories in the air, his arms raised as debris whipped around him. As they watched, several windows shattered and fell around him, adding to the other debris caught in the windstorm.

   Before the screen, smoking his customary cigar and pacing, was the team's sponsor and creator Vince King. Vince was an ex-marine, his body still vigorous, if a little soft with age, as he approached his mid-fifties. His hair was salt and pepper with silver wings flaring from his temples. His suit jacket lay draped over a chair and he had rolled the sleeves of his designer shirt up to the elbows. As soon as they arrived, he turned and pointed at the screen.  
   “This guy,” he said, his Jersey accent thicker than usual, “is making a huge windstorm and wrecking up downtown. Yous guys gotta get in there and stop him. Now go, before some other team beats us to it!”  
   The team agreed and rushed out the doors, the ninja Okage in the lead. His red and black Han mask glinted in the setting sun as he stepped outside, looking back to the others briefly.  
   “We should get as close as possible before traveling on the ground. The wind is going to make any movement difficult.” With that, he turned and leaped into the air, landing on a nearby rooftop before jumping along nearby buildings, his charcoal gi quickly blending in with the surrounding gloom.  
   Aegis, by day an EMT and possessed by the spirits of vampire-hunting knights, held out his hand to Seismic, an earth-controlling motorcycle mechanic. “I can fly you closer, it'll be quieter than your bike,” he said simply. The silvery chain mail appearance of his costume jingled softly, the spirit armor from the knights forming translucent plate mail over the outfit, except for his visor-covered head.  
Seismic nodded and held on, her leather jacket and red leotard with custom jeans and sole-less black boots a sharp modern contrast to Aegis. They rose into the air and flew toward downtown, joining Sprite while Chief Tundra remained on the ground.  
   Sprite, her abilities exclusively electrical control, had the ability to fly by manipulating ion winds around her. Her costume was composed of an experimental superconductive material that she had developed herself, skin tight and dyed blue and red to mimic the lightning phenomenon from which she took her name. Vince had made a few adjustments, namely displaying more of her chest than she thought possible with a lightning bolt shaped neckline and taking a similar shape out of her thighs to reveal a little more skin. Only her masked face and complete anonymity allowed her to wear the costume at all, despite her timid nature.  
   Chief Tundra, the publicly known leader, had the ability to control cold and create objects from ice. He was tall and broad, with blond hair and ice blue eyes over his respirator mask that matched his arctic blue firefighter costume perfectly. He was able to fly as fast as everyone else by creating a thin layer of ice along the ground and propelling himself forward along it, almost skating as it melted behind him.  
    The final team member, Salvation, easily passed him. Her white mech-suit whizzed by him, the intricate crimson crosses on her chest and shoulders easily visible as she flew along. Though they had seen her without the suit, no one yet knew her actual name, only her appearance as a slender, youthful woman with boyishly short, dark hair. Her suit, on the other hand, was nearly eight feet tall and solid metal, with large rounded shoulders that stored her various weapons and snares. The rocket thrusters on her feet and back allowed her to fly just as easily as the others, the opaque grey visor easily hiding her identity.  
   Once the team began to feel the pull of the wind, they landed and continued moving toward the villain. The wind howled around them, while most of the debris thankfully stayed up much higher and was not a hazard yet. With Okage absent, they decided he was lying in wait for the opportune moment to attack. Carefully edging closer, they spread themselves out to partially surround the unknown man and prepared to attack.  
   From her spot, Sprite could see that he was roughly fifteen stories above them in the center of the windstorm he had created. Other than that, because of the height, she couldn’t make out much. She looked over to Chief Tundra and at a signal from him, raised a hand and sent out a blast of lightning toward him.  
   At the last moment, he turned to see her and skated to the side, avoiding the attack entirely. As the crackling blue bolt shot into the clouds, Sprite could see him stare down and then point at her. She swallowed, dread settling in her stomach as they others began attacking as well.  
Seismic kicked a large chunk of concrete at the villain, the missile sinking into his midsection and doubling him over. Chief Tundra propelled himself upward with his ice, punching out at him once he was high enough. The wind controller dodged and waved a hand, an intense gust smashing the ice and sending Chief Tundra slamming into the ground where he lay gasping for breath.  
   Aegis sidled up next to Sprite and shouted over the wind, “We need to combine an attack to really stun him.” She nodded and they waited for the best moment to combine his ghostly telekinesis and her electricity into a simultaneous attack.  
    From the side, Salvation swooped in and released one of her heavier snares at the man, trapping his arms to his sides. They could see him struggling to free himself when Okage suddenly appeared, jumping from several stories about him. As he fell, he twirled a rope around him and succeeded in looping it around the man. Okage's safety harness caught after a few more stories and he rappelled from the side of the building, holding the rope tightly.  
   Together, Aegis and Sprite raised their arms and blasted the villain with their respective powers, rocking his head back from the combined attack. He fell to the ground, saved from injury by the snares binding him. Around them, the windstorm quickly died and the debris plummeted, the team easily dodging the trash, glass shards, and metallic objects.  
   Okage and Salvation lowered him to the ground gently and Chief Tundra stepped forward. “Do you surrender?” he demanded, his voice slightly tinny from behind the respirator.  
   “Yes, Derecho surrenders,” said the man with a heavy Hispanic accent, apparently named Derecho. He wriggled within his bonds, and looked up imploringly from beneath his hat, dark eyes sparkling behind the simple black mask. “These are too tight. Please, remove them and use something else on me.” He winked at Seismic, who scowled.  
   “Don't even think about it,” she warned, flexing her lean, muscled arms and making her six-foot tall body that much more intimidating. “I definitely swing the other way.”  
   His attention drifted from hero to hero as they exchanged glances to gauge the safety of restraining him another way. While the others discussed the situation in hushed tones, Sprite lingered on the edge of the group. Painfully shy, she still hadn't become comfortable enough around the team to speak up beyond necessary information or direct questions.  
   Suddenly, she felt the hairs on the nape of her neck raise and turned quickly, preparing for another attack. However, she saw nothing more in the immediate vicinity than Derecho, helpless and bound on the ground and...staring at her intently. Confused, she looked behind her to make sure no other villains were coming to his aid, but there was no one else anywhere around them.  
   Unable to find anything, she turned back to face Derecho, but was unable to meet his gaze. Embarrassed and bewildered, she sidestepped until Chief Tundra's broad body hid her from Derecho's sight, heaving a great sigh of relief.  
   “Oh, no! _Señorita Relámpago_ , you must return to Derecho,” he said from his prone position, his voice tinged with dramatic pleading.  
   Chief Tundra looked around in confusion. “Who is he talking to?” he whispered to her.  
   She swallowed heavily and murmured, “M-Me.” Her average knowledge of Spanish allowing her to understand that he had called her “Miss Lightning.” She also knew that his name was derived from a type of intense windstorm in the Midwest. She tamped down the small thrill in her gut from his voice calling for her, confused by the unprecedented reaction.  
    “Oh, ok.” He looked toward Derecho and then back to her. “Do you want to talk to him, Sprite? You don't have to. We're just waiting for the police to get here and take him away, so you could go back to the SAFE house.”  
    “I-I'll stay here, but I d-don't want to talk to him,” she said softly, edging a few more steps to the side to hide better. She didn't want to experience that odd reaction again, but responsibility demanded that she stay with her team until Derecho was in custody.  
    He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Derecho's voice interrupted from behind him, “ _Señorita_ , you cannot think to leave me alone with these heartless others. They will not even loosen Derecho's restraints.” From his petulant tone, she was willing to assume he was pouting as well.  
    Sprite's eyes widened behind her red mask, completely baffled by the strange villain. She saw Okage's mask turn her way briefly. “All right, that's enough of that,” he said sternly, stepping forward and drawing Derecho's attention. “Now while we wait for the police to arrive, we would appreciate your cooperation in answering a few questions for us.” His hard tone left no room for argument.  
    She remained behind Chief Tundra's broad back and waited. Eventually, he sighed. “Yes, yes. I will answer a few questions, but,” he paused and Sprite heard him rustle around, “Derecho would like it for you to loosen these first.”  
    Okage signaled to Salvation and then to Seismic. The moment they released their snares, Seismic stomped the ground and a thick chunk of asphalt rose and shackled Derecho's wrists behind him. Sprite carefully peered around Chief Tundra and saw Derecho frowning over his shoulder at the new restraints.  
    After a moment, he shrugged. “I suppose I can tolerate this. Now, what questions do you have for Derecho?”  
    Sprite saw him subtly lean forward and carefully hid herself behind Chief Tundra once more. She watched Okage step closer as Seismic, Salvation and Aegis carefully circled around to surround Derecho entirely. She followed carefully in step with Chief Tundra as he adjusted his position to the rest of the team's, keeping herself hidden from the strange man.  
    Okage crossed his arms. “What drove you to attack the city in this way? There was no ransom for the cessation of destruction or anything that indicates you have a purpose here.”  
    Derecho shrugged. “For the money, of course.”  
    “The money? You were hired to do this?” Chief Tundra clarified.  
    “Yes, there was a contract made with my employer,” Derecho said cheerfully. “The employer hired me to, how you say, rough up the area. Derecho is very good at what he does... especially with the _señoritas_.”  
    Sprite felt a blush climbing her cheeks from his implication. Who on earth would act like this with complete strangers? She simply could not wrap her mind around the concept of being this...uninhibited with anyone. She shook her head and refocused her attention on the interrogation.  
    “Who is your employer, then? Why would they want to 'rough up the city,' as you say?” Okage asked.  
    She could see the hat moving back and forth as Derecho shook his head, a smile present in his voice. “Oh, no, no, no. Derecho can't tell you. We had a non-disclosure agreement in the contract, and I am legally unable to speak of that. I am so sorry, please forgive Derecho.”  
    Curious, Sprite edged back around so that she could see the completely guilt-free grin on the mercenary's masked face. If she was truly honest, she would have to admit that, biologically, he was a handsome man and the grin only emphasized his appearance. A stubborn, square jaw lightly dusted with black stubble led up to the dimple in his right cheek and a sensual, full mouth. The rest of his face was hidden behind his mask, but she could see that his eyes were dark, close to the same shade as his inky hair peeking from beneath the hat.  
    He coughed loudly a few times and then looked up to Okage pleadingly. “Can I have a little water please? All this talking is making me so very thirsty, and I might have to stop.”  
    The ninja sighed and gestured to Chief Tundra, who formed a dense snowball in his hand. He moved forward to help Derecho to his feet, revealing he was the same height as Chief Tundra, and then held it out at the proper level for the mercenary to simply eat the snowball. However, Derecho turned his head to the side, his wicked smile back as he saw Sprite standing where Chief Tundra had just been.  
    “Derecho will only accept from the _señorita_ ,” he said firmly, raising his gaze to hers and winking. “Surely, that is an agreeable term, yes?”  
    She swallowed and shook her head, dropping her eyes to the ground and taking a few steps back. Her arms crossed over her stomach as she struggled to think of a way out of this, trying to will her intellect to solve the problem. At a touch on her shoulder, she jumped and looked up slightly into the carved eyes of Okage's mask.  
    “Sprite,” he said softly, standing between her and Derecho, “I know you are not comfortable with people but we need to find out more from him. Can you please just hold the snowball and ignore whatever he says? It is such a small thing to do for the team, really.” His voice was low and persuasive, trying to gently coax her into it.  
    Sprite took a few deep breaths, glancing toward Chief Tundra and the others. She would do her best to help out the team, that was the point of being here. After all, she would just be holding a snowball and she could mentally run complex equations if she needed to block him out.  
    “I-If it's for the team, I-I'll do it,” she said softly. She came closer and held out her hand for the snowball. Chief Tundra handed it over and took only one step back, allowing her closer but remaining near enough to intervene if necessary.  
    Derecho smiled wider as she held the snowball to his mouth. “ _Gracias, señorita_ ,” he murmured, and ran his tongue over the curve of the snow. Sprite sucked in a breath and moved her eyes away quickly, jerking her gaze up to collide with his and then found she was unable to look away. His eyes, a rich dark chocolate brown, were blazing with an inner fire and locked onto her own green ones. If she had ever put any credence to the claim that emotions were shown in the eyes, she would say that his were lustful in their appraisal of her.  
    Feeling her face turn the same shade as her costume, Sprite turned her head away and stared fixedly at a point on the ground. She heard Okage clear his throat briefly before speaking again.  
    “So, you cannot speak of who your employer is, and I understand that,” he said, his tone softening somewhat. “However, you must realize that you are going to suffer in prison while they get away freely. Wouldn't it be better to cut a deal with us and reduce your sentence so that they can get their part of the punishment as well?”  
    The mercenary laughed and took a bite of the snowball. Sprite could feel that he still hadn't looked away from her, her blush deepening. “Obviously, you are unaware of what my employer can do,” he said and stopped. “And it appears that the police have come to take Derecho away.”  
    He sighed as the police cars pulled up along with a special van for transporting super-powered villains to their prison. Several officers ran from their cars to Derecho, clasping a thick metal collar around his neck. He winced as the small red light on the front flared to life, indicating that his powers had been negated by the circuitry of the collar. Sprite had always wanted to study the collars, but their designs were kept secret and only a select few were allowed to view the classified design files to prevent them from being leaked or tampered with.  
    Once the collar was secure, Seismic slowly removed the earth from his wrists until the officers could use their handcuffs. Sprite had stepped back to allow them more room, and risked another glance at Derecho's face. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw that he was still staring at her, his gaze just as hot as before. The moment their eyes locked, he winked at her and blew a kiss.  
    “Don't worry, _señorita_ , Derecho will be released very soon and then we will be together again,” he called out as the officers led him into the van.  
    Sprite gasped, backing away and shaking her head as she felt the blood drain from her face. Chief Tundra turned toward her, his hand outstretched. “Hey, Sprite, it's ok. Don't pay attention to that guy, he's –” She took off before he could finish, a slight crackle in the air from the intensity of the takeoff.

    Derecho, seated in the back of the police van and craning his head to watch as they closed the doors, remained intensely interested in the young woman he had met tonight. Through the tiny door windows, he was able to keep her in sight until her red and blue costume was lost in the night.  
    Sprite, her teammates had called her. He remembered that there had once been a similar superheroine by that name, but of an opposite personality type. This woman, and there was no doubt she was a woman with the way her costume had outlined her voluptuous curves, was so shy she barely spoke, even to her team. He was almost concerned that he had pushed too hard, but shooed the idea away.  
    Someone was going to push that girl eventually, and he was determined for it to be him. A woman as beautiful as she promised to be should not be so afraid of the world. He would have no problem enticing her to come around to him. After all, the best part about getting a new toy was learning all about it before you really began to play with it, and make it your own. Derecho loved to learn, and he would be the one to teach her how to play.

    Sprite shot back to the SAFE house, letting the sharp bite of the wind flow over her body. She could feel tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she flew, whipped away almost instantly into a free fall. She told herself they were from the wind alone, but she knew the truth. He had caused them, that flirtatious and outrageous mercenary named Derecho. Somehow, she found him infinitely fascinating and was actually...flattered by his attention. How could she allow herself to react that way, even for a moment? It was obvious he was just a bully, lying to her because he derived some sick amusement from it.  
    She was disgusted with herself and just wanted to go home and be with Tesla. He could always find a way to make her feel better, usually by just letting her hug him for as long as she wanted and stroke his fur. She would always return the favor by playing fetch with his sock monkey until he grew tired of the game.  
    Sprite arrived quickly at the SAFE house, her new home. She had been let go from her research job earlier that day because of her sporadic absences from the crime fighting and press releases. With that avenue closed to her, and no chance of other employment because of her superhero activities, she had left her apartment and moved into the SAFE house, hoping to set up a lab in one of the spare rooms in the building.  
    She walked inside and up the stairs into the suite that belonged to her now, across the hall from Salvation. As soon as she opened the door, Tesla came running up, his entire back end wagging along with his tail. She smiled and petted his head, leading him along as she went into the bedroom to change. She closed the door on him to keep him outside and changed quickly, hanging her costume and mask in her closet and pulling on a simple blue t-shirt and yoga pants.  
    Her transformation back into Katerina complete, she rejoined Tesla in the main room. They curled up on the couch and she simply stroked her hand through his golden fur as he lay on her lap. She quietly told him all about the fight and Derecho, and how she was angry beyond reason with herself for reacting to him. Tesla seemed to listen quietly, even whining and licking at her face when tears spilled out once again.  
    Finally, when she regained her composure, Katerina sat up further and reached for the sock monkey on the arm of the couch. She and Tesla spent the next half hour playing fetch until he finally collapsed on the floor in a panting heap, coaxing a real smile to curl her lips.  
    With nothing else to do and unwilling to leave her room anytime soon, Katerina made her dinner and set out Tesla's kibble in his bowl. They ate and watched television until she grew too tired and finally went into the bedroom. She and Tesla curled up on the bed and he fell asleep quickly. Katerina tossed and turned, struggling to keep her mind from lingering over her brief memory of _him_ , finally falling into an uneasy sleep after a few hours.


	2. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Derecho in prison, everything should be totally fine. What about that contract, though? And his employer? Hmmmm...

            The next day, the team met mid-morning for a debriefing and an update on the fight from the previous night. Okage and the others took turns filling Vince in on the details of the damage and Derecho, including the contract he had mentioned and his reluctance to speak.

            “Yeah, we heard all about this guy Der-Dar...” he trailed off, trying to recall the name.

            “Derecho,” Sprite said softly.

            Surprised, Vince turned her way and puffed on his cigar. “You understand Spanish? That sounded perfect to me.”

            She swallowed and dropped her gaze from his. “Not much, I-I took t-two semesters in college.”

            He blew out a swirl of smoke. “Well, that's a lot better than the rest of us, doll, and it's great in this case,” he paused and rubbed his thumb over his forehead. “See, we need to get this guy to talk about this contract he has, right? But, he's been in prison all night and he ain't said a word yet.”

            “Yes,” Okage said. “He was very tight-lipped on the entire subject last night.”

            “Yeah, well, here's the thing,” Vince sighed. “He says he'll talk, but only with one person.” He stopped and seemed to wrestle with his next sentence. “Sprite, he's requesting you as his interrogator.”

            Sprite felt as though her breath had been sucked from her body, leaving her gasping for air as her eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. “N-N-No! I-I can't do th-that! I-I'm not good with p-people, especially h-him.”

            Chief Tundra reached out and put his hand on her shoulder gently. Her entire body trembled beneath his touch, and he looked toward Vince. “Isn't there some other way we can get him to talk? I mean, she's obviously scared and that guy was pretty intense.”

            Vince shook his head. “Sorry, Chief, he refuses to speak unless she's there. We don't have grounds for a telepathic search warrant, and anything else we could try would be illegal. You can take someone with you, if you want, but only you can be in the interrogation room.”

             She remained stationary in her seat, struggling to breathe normally. A moment later, Chief Tundra knelt before her and moved his hand to her knee. “Sprite, we can go with you to the prison, so you won't be alone. Just remember, you don't have to do this if you don't want to, ok?”

            She nodded, and swallowed heavily. “D-Do you actually think he'll t-talk?” she asked Vince, her voice quivering.

            Vince took a deep puff and blew the smoke out slowly. “I mean, he said he'd talk to you. The worst thing is he doesn't tell you anything and you come back with no new information. We really need to know whatever he knows, doll.”

            Sprite buried her face in her hands and curled into herself in the chair, her mind racing over the possibilities. She definitely did not want to see him again after the bizarre reaction her body had to him. However, they needed to know more about his contract and what implications it could have for the city. In the end, there was really only once choice she could responsibly make.

            “I-I'll do it,” she said softly. “But I-I want someone to come with me.” She paused. “Chief Tundra, do you think you c-can?” He was the hero she considered to have the most well developed protective instincts, especially because he'd had a girlfriend for years.

            He nodded and smiled reassuringly. “Yeah, sure. And we'll have the guards in there and everything. You'll be fine.”

            “Thanks, doll. You're really helping us out here,” Vince said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “So you and Chief here can go take care of that and report back on whatever you find out. And don't be afraid to turn on the charm and smile, you know?”

            She shook her head and rose from the chair woodenly. “L-Let's get this over with,” she whispered and exited the room. Chief Tundra quickly followed and they flew to the prison.

            Located on the edge of the city and carved into the base of a mountain, Sunrise Penitentiary was considered the best in metahuman and supervillain containment. Each inmate was equipped with a tamper-proof power-neutralizing collar and was kept in a cell lined with the same dampening components. According to the MetaHuman Act of 2016, the villains were allowed to keep their masks in place, as long as those masks were not deemed a danger to themselves or others. This was an attempt to protect them once they had served their time, to prevent vigilante justice from targeting them once they were released in case their alter egos were simply normal people.

            After passing through the security checkpoints, Sprite and Chief Tundra were led to one of the larger interrogation rooms. He patted Sprite's shoulder reassuringly before stepping into the recording area attached to the room, leaving her alone with the prison guard. The guard, Marks according to his uniform, handed her a tiny earpiece and waited for her to secure it. Once she had settled it into her right ear, he opened the door to the room and allowed her to precede him, closing and locking it behind them.

            In the center of the room, bolted to the floor, was a simple metal table with a chair on either side, Derecho seated on the far side and facing the door. Marks went to join another guard, Greene, in the near corner of the room. They whispered to each other for a moment before Marks moved to the corner opposite Greene, standing at ease. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sprite forced herself to move to the chair and sit down.

            Derecho began speaking as soon as she moved. “Ah, _ángel del corazón_ , you have returned to Derecho!” he exclaimed, pressing his hands to his heart and clinking the handcuff chains together. She could feel his dark eyes watching as she sat down, his shaggy black hair tousled artfully about his head and mask in place, the metallic collar secure around his throat.

            Sprite felt a blush start and forced herself to remain seated, wanting nothing more than to flee the room. She was no match for someone like this, and could only imagine he had requested she come here to embarrass her more. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly, trying to calm herself.

            “I-I'm here, as you requested. C-Can you tell me anything about your c-contract now?” she said softly, staring hard at the table. She didn't want to look up into that handsome face, couldn't bring herself to actually engage him in conversation. She would simply ask for the information and leave once her told her nothing. There was no need to allow him to bully her more.

            “Ah, _señorita_ , you wound Derecho,” he replied, obviously avoiding her question. “Surely you can offer me a friendly hello and look at me, yes?”

            She could hear the smile in his voice, only serving to reinforce her decision not to meet his gaze or move her stare from the table. Sprite shook her head and cleared her throat softly, her hands clenched together on her lap.

            “I-I'm not here to exchange p-pleasantries. Just to t-talk about the contract,” she repeated quietly.

            “Ah, yes, but if you decide to exchange those pleasantries, Derecho may be more likely to talk about the things you wish to discuss,” he countered, charm dripping from his coaxing tone.

            Sprite ran a hand through her short hair, tousling the blonde strands and sighed. “If I d-do that, then will you t-talk about it?”

            She heard Derecho sigh in return. “Now, _señorita_ , I cannot make a promise of that magnitude until you look up from the table.” He tapped his fingertips against the metal. “It is a fine table, I am sure, but I would like you to see me instead.”

            Her hand dropped to her lap and she ran a thumb over the slick material of her costume, blue on her thighs and upper arms and red everywhere else. She took a deep breath and carefully peered up through her bangs into Derecho's face. His dark eyes locked in on her green ones instantly, and a smile stretched over his face.

            “Ah, _señorita_ , you are truly a beautiful woman,” Derecho said softly, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. “ _Por favor_ , let Derecho see more of your lovely face.”

            Sprite swallowed heavily and heard a whisper of sound from Chief Tundra in her earpiece. “Sprite, you might as well do it. He can't hurt you in there, you know that.” Physically, no, but emotional hurts were just as damaging in their own way. Screwing up her courage, she sat straighter in her seat and returned Derecho's gaze, her hands clenching in her lap.

            He sighed in affected pleasure. “Such a glorious woman you are, _señorita_. Surely you must chase the men away at every moment.”

            She shook her head, feeling her blush deepen. “W-We aren't t-talking about that. Please, tell me about your c-contract.”

            “ _Señorita_ , you are so dedicated to your job. Do you have any time for yourself?” Derecho leaned forward, him eyes rich with mischief. “Derecho can show you how to take time for yourself,” he winked, “properly.”

            Sprite leaned further back in her chair, away from the mercenary, as her teeth sank into her lower lip. She should have known that he would try these kinds of underhanded tactics to throw her off.

            “I-I am only h-here because you requested that I d-do your interrogation,” she said, making her voice as icy as possible. She saw one of his brows raise in surprise. “I suggest you f-fulfill your end of the b-bargain and discuss your contract with me. If you do n-not, I will s-simply leave and cease wasting everyone's t-time.”

            His eyes darted over her face, taking in her stiff posture and stern expression. Eventually, with a tiny smile, he leaned back in his chair and held his hands up in surrender. “Ah, _señorita_ , you drive a hard bargain. If you will grant Derecho one final favor, I will tell you everything I can.”

            She gave him a hard stare. “I-Is this another d-distraction?”

            Derecho shook his head, his expression wounded. “ _Señorita_ , I would never be merely a distraction. And,” he paused significantly, “if you will do this final thing, Derecho swears he will speak of the contract.”

            There was a whisper in Sprite's ear from Chief Tundra. “Sprite, I'd say try whatever it is and if he still doesn't talk, then leave. You can do it.”

            She sighed and nodded, staring fixedly at the table in front of him. “W-What is your favor?”

            “Derecho would like for you to both look at him and to smile when speaking of the contract,” he said simply.

            Her spine stiffened further and her gaze shot to his from beneath her bangs. His dark eyes, a rich chocolate brown, smoldered and one side of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile. His head tilted to the side slightly, obviously waiting. Bracing herself for his ridicule, she wet her lips nervously and gave him a timid smile.

            Derecho sighed in pleasure. “You are such an _ángel_ when you smile. I will answer anything you ask, as long as you smile for me.”

            Sprite cleared her throat softly and straightened in the chair. With some effort, she forced the smile to stay in place and met his gaze once more. “S-So you have a contract with an as-yet unknown party. W-What can you t-tell me about this employer?”

            He sighed and lifted his hands in an elaborate shrug. “ _Señorita_ , I believe I said before that I cannot speak of my employer.”

            She felt her smile wobble in her confusion. “B-But you said you would d-discuss your contract with me.”

            Derecho nodded. “And so I shall. However,” he paused and shook his wrists, making the handcuffs clink together. “Derecho is bound by his word, just as he is bound by these.”

            Sprite felt the corners of her mouth twitch from the effort of holding her smile in place. She needed to hurry this along. “W-What can you t-tell me about the contract, then?”

            “Derecho can tell you he was hired to cause some damage in the city. I was not told why, nor did I ask,” he said simply.

            She blinked in surprise. “Y-You know almost n-nothing about a legally b-binding contract you signed?” she asked incredulously.

            He tsked. “You are not smiling, _señorita._ ”

            She smiled brightly. “Same que-question.”

            Derecho chuckled softly and said, “I will accept that. Derecho has been somewhat in need of funds lately. This contract was a quick solution. And,” his voice dropped an octave as his hand inched toward hers across the table, “I met you, as well. The contract paid off very well for Derecho.”

            Sprite felt her breath catch in her throat and jerked her hands back in her lap just as the guards snapped, “No touching!” at Derecho. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, holding his hands up in surrender.

            “They never let Derecho have any fun,” he pouted.

            Against her better judgment, Sprite could feel a laugh welling up inside and trying to break free. She coughed to clear her throat, avoiding his searching look as she composed herself. Eventually she settled down and tried to think of more questions.

            “ _Señorita_ , what do you do for fun?” he asked, his tone genuinely curious. Or at least it seemed to be.

            Caught off-guard, Sprite's mind blanked out completely. Before she could recover enough of her wits to filter her thoughts, she heard herself blurt out, “I spend t-time with my d-dog.”

            The moment the words spilled from her lips, she froze and forced her face into an emotionless mask. She refused to give him anything further than she already had. How could she have told him about Tesla? Her dog was the only real friend she had, the one thing she would give anything to protect. She needed to maintain a stronger hold on her thoughts and speech around this man.

            “Th-That is irrelevant to our c-conversation,” she said, wetting her lips nervously as she saw Derecho give her a long, searching look, bracing herself for more prying questions.

            However, at the last moment, he seemed to reconsider and instead smiled. “As you wish, _señorita_...” he trailed off, and then shook his head. “Ah, Derecho has been so rude! _Por favor_ , tell me your name, _ángel_.”

            “I'm S-Sprite,” she said softly, wondering if he would make recognize the name. She had unknowingly taken the name of one of the original GUILD members, attracting her much more attention than she had intended. Much of the attention was sheer curiosity from the press, but the older heroes, especially those that used to be in GUILD, had had a very negative reaction toward the mistake. This was on top of the current negativity her team garnered from the other heroes in the city for being “sell-outs” since they engaged with the press and were paid for the job by Vince.

            He smiled even more brightly and exclaimed, “Ah, what a beautiful name! A being of air and freedom, soaring through the skies, just like me.”

            “That's n-not the sprite I m-meant,” she interrupted when he took a breath. He tilted his head to the side, and she found herself explaining. “I've always l-loved electricity and electrical phenomenon. There's a specific t-type of upper atmosphere lightning c-called a sprite that is red and blue. That's w-what I chose.”

            Derecho seemed to actually listen as she talked, as though he cared about the answer. She caught herself before she could stare, begrudgingly admitting that he was a wonderful actor. That only spoke ill for her, however.  She wasn’t sure she could trust anything he said.

Just as he was about to speak, Chief Tundra whispered into her earpiece, “Uh, Sprite? I don't think that's actually how you interrogate someone, is it?”

            She cleared her throat and shook her head for his benefit. She returned her attention to Derecho. “I'm s-sorry, I've allowed us to g-get off-topic. P-Please,” she paused and smiled slightly. “Tell me more about your c-contract. You do know that if y-you choose to reveal your employer, y-you will be entered into w-witness protection. They w-wouldn't be able to retaliate.”

            Her coaxing tone did nothing for the hardened convictions of the man before her. His smile faded as he shook his head slowly. “Ah, _señorita_ , it is not as simple as that. Were Derecho to reveal anything, and go into protection, he could never fly again, never be Derecho. I would have to hide myself away. I would never be free. I cannot do that,” he finished solemnly, a determined gleam in his eyes.

            Sprite swallowed past the dryness in her throat, at a loss for words. That seemed sincere beyond a doubt. After a long, silent moment, she composed herself and said, “In that c-case, I must regretfully t-tell you that we c-cannot help you. If you c-could offer some k-kind of information, maybe, but as things are, there is n-nothing we can do.”

            A wicked glint kindled to life in his eyes as he leveled his gaze at her once again. “Oh, but there is something you can do for Derecho, _querida_.”

            Unfamiliar with that term, Sprite looked at him warily. “W-What's that?”

            The glint twinkled as his grin deepened. “Derecho would be willing to trade a piece of information for a kiss.”

            Sprite stiffened in outrage, feeling her jaw clench tightly as she grit her teeth. “E-E-Excuse me?” she demanded quietly, frost coating each word.

            Derecho leaned forward. “I want a ten-second, true kiss from you. In return, I will tell you a piece of valuable information. Something you will never learn unless I tell you.”

            “Ask him what it's about,” said Chief Tundra from the earpiece.

            Sprite forced her jaw to relax and took a deep, calming breath. “W-What is this v-valuable p-piece of information about?” she asked, her tone indicating that she severely doubted his ability to deliver.

            “It's about villainous activities that will happen very soon in our dear city,” he replied.

            The earpiece lit up with Chief Tundra's voice, hesitant but excited. “Sprite...we could use any information available, right? And if he only wants a kiss...do you think you can do it? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but just think about it. He can't hurt you in there, with the collar on and the guards. What do you think?”

            She swallowed heavily and dropped her gaze to her lap, withdrawing her hands to wring together. Could she really be considering throwing away her first kiss on a mercenary villain for information? She had never even gone on a date before, and had barely had contact with others for most of her life. Instead, she had thrown herself into her studies and research, enabling her to earn her doctorate by age twenty-two.

            However, SAFE was still trying to prove itself in the eyes of the city and the other superhero teams. They wanted to prove they weren't sell-outs that were only doing hero work for the money and media attention. Vince had been the one to approach each member with the offer to join, and each member had their own reasons for accepting. Sprite didn't consider any of her teammates sell-outs, and would do anything to help prove it.

            So, unwilling to allow this opportunity to pass her by, she decided to agree but at least try to bargain. “I...will agree to g-give you a k-k-kiss, but make it five s-seconds.”

            Derecho's grin widened. “Oh, no, Sprite,” he chastised gently. She fought to ignore the thrill in her blood from the way his accent caressed her name. “This information is too valuable for anything less than ten full seconds...with tongue.”

            Sprite gasped in outrage. “Y-You expect me to agree to k-kiss you like that for information? Y-You're a c-criminal in p-p-prison!”

            “So, the only thing preventing you from this is my being in prison?” he asked, and then winked. “Don't worry, _señorita_ , they cannot hold Derecho for long. I will be free soon.”

            “That is n-not what I m-meant,” she hissed furiously, feeling her face flush.

            “Come, _señorita_ , a kiss will not kill you and it will earn you valuable information. Surely you can endure for only ten seconds?” he coaxed, widening his eyes innocently.

            Sprite worried her lower lip, frustrated that he had so neatly backed her into a corner. She knew the team could use any information available, and she would simply have to endure this indecency to get it. She staunchly ignored the small part of her that was almost excited to kiss such a handsome man, his dangerous nature only adding another kick of anticipation. She reminded herself again that he was only trying to bully her with his actions, that he didn’t mean anything by this.

            With a heavy sigh, she finally nodded. “F-Fine, I will g-give you your k-kiss and then you will g-give me your information.” She paused and deliberately met his gaze, glaring at him across the table. “I-If you attempt to d-do anything besides w-what we have agreed on, I am within legal b-bounds to use m-my abilities on you. D-Do you understand?”

            He nodded his consent, deliberately placing his hands on the table for her to see. With no other option, Sprite leaned across the table, her hands planted on the metal as well. Derecho met her halfway, and she felt their lips touch as her eyes drifted closed.

            It was...perfect. There was no other way to describe his kiss. His surprisingly soft lips gently rubbed against hers, the shock of it causing hers to part. He took full advantage, slipping his tongue into her mouth and sliding it along her own. He carefully moved in and out, and Sprite swore that she could feel a light breeze blowing back her hair as heat pooled within her body. A tingle, almost electrical, zipped from her lips to low in her belly as they kissed, growing minutely stronger as the seconds passed.

            He was the one to break the kiss, trailing his lips from her mouth to her left ear, the one without the earpiece. Quietly, so quietly she almost missed it, he whispered, “Dr. Watt. Keep it quiet until I come to you.”

            He pulled away then, his dark eyes sparkling mischievously at her flushed face and her reaction to him. Trying to calm herself, Sprite smoothed her hand over her hair and realized he _had_ been blowing it back. She could feel the faint current slide over her skin. He winked at her and tapped the collar discreetly with his thumb, sending one last puff of air her way. Before she could ask about it, he began speaking.

            “So, now the information. There is a plot to overtake the city by a new villain on the scene. Derecho has only heard whispers, but it is supposed to be a dangerous, devious plan,” he said gravely. “It is supposed to occur in the next two weeks.”

            Sprite stared at him, trying to make sense of everything. He had said to keep quiet about the name he had whispered in her ear, and implied as much about the collar. What could his plan be? And why was she so resigned to letting him keep his secrets? Try as she might, she just couldn't make herself reveal him.

            “Wh-Who is this new v-villain? What else c-can you tell us about h-him or her?”

            Derecho made a show of stroking his chin in thought. “I am afraid that is all I know, _señorita_. Although I believe the villain is a man.”

            “Is th-that all?” she asked coolly.

            He mused to himself a long moment, and then nodded. “Yes, Derecho believes that is all.” He flashed her a wicked grin. “Unless you would like to taste my kiss again, _querida_.”

            Feeling her blush scorch her cheeks, Sprite shook her head and rose form her chair quickly. “Th-Thank you for your t-time. I h-hope you enjoy your long stay in p-prison,” she snapped, making her way to the door.

            Just as she opened it, she heard him call out, “Fear not, _querida_ , Derecho will find you once his lawyer frees him from here. It won't be long now.” He sounded cheerful, almost excited at the prospect.

            Sprite felt her jaw clench again and took care to close the door softly behind her. She gave a polite nod to the guards stationed in the hallway and returned her earpiece to them. Chief Tundra met her outside the recording room and they left the prison quickly, flying back to SAFE house.

            Her mind was racing, trying out each possibility for Derecho's comment. He had said to keep it quiet until he came for her, but that the villain was planning something that would occur in the next two weeks. Did she have time to wait for him? _Should_ she? It was possible he had fed her false information to make her seem untrustworthy or gullible to her team. It was entirely possible the entire thing was a cruel joke he was playing.

            As she and the Chief landed in front of the building, Sprite finally came to a decision. She would sleep on the information tonight and reveal it tomorrow during the afternoon meeting, if nothing happened in the interim. That should give her time to do a little looking on her own and see if what she had learned was possibly fabricated.

            A glance at the sun overhead indicated that it was still early enough to take Tesla to the dog park after they had briefed Vince. With an extra boost in her step from anticipation, she and Chief Tundra made their way inside to their manager's office, knocking politely before entering.

            Vince's office still smelled of the new carpet from the building's recent construction, overlaid heavily with pungent cigar smoke. Dark wood shelves lined the cream-colored walls, various pictures and trophies of his clients over the years displayed neatly, with a smaller corner dedicated to his military medals and awards. The thick chocolate-brown carpet muffled their footsteps as they approached his enormous desk, stained to match the shelves. Two large leather chairs in front were angled toward the desk.

            Vince sat behind the great expanse of wood in a plush suede chair, rustling through several papers before him and puffing on a cigar. He put the papers to the side and looked up to greet them with a bright smile. “Hey there, guys,” he said, and gestured toward the chairs. “So, did you learn anything new about this Deray...Derash...” He trailed off, struggling to remember.

            “Derecho,” Sprite corrected softly, placing the emphasis correctly on the middle syllable.

            There was a moment of shocked silence from the men. She spoke only when asked or felt it was necessary, but this situation didn't feel like either to them. Finally, flicking off some ash from his cigar, Vince cleared his throat and said, “Right, right. Derecho. Did he tell you anything about his contract or employer?”

            Sprite and Chief Tundra shook their heads and Vince's face fell. He drew deeply on his cigar and leaned back in his chair, making it creak slightly as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. “What did you learn then?” His Jersey accent thickened from frustration.

            They exchanged a look, and Chief Tundra gestured for her to begin. She nodded and quietly said, “Derecho has t-told us of a supposed p-plot to overrun the city sometime in the next t-two weeks. He refused any offers to g-give up his employer and t-told us nothing new on the contract.”

            “A new villain wants to take over sometime in the next two weeks,” Vince repeated without inflection. He raked a hand through his greying hair. “That's all he said? Nothing to narrow it down from every mook in the city on the wrong side of the law?”

            “He did say it would be a guy,” Chief Tundra offered.

            Vince buried his face in his hands, a thin tendril of grey smoke spiraling up from the smoldering tip of his cigar. “Chief, that still leaves about half of the possible villains in the city”

            Chief Tundra frowned and scratched his head, mussing the blond hair. “Well, can't we just ask him again when he comes back?”

            Another shocked silence filled the office. Vince slowly placed his hands on his desk and stared at Chief Tundra. “Uhhh...you wanna run that by me again, kid?”

            His ice-blue eyes looked between a pale Sprite and a dumbfounded Vince, the cigar now lying almost forgotten in the ashtray. They darkened with confusion as his gaze switched between them. Eventually, he turned to Sprite. “Derecho said he would find you after he was released, remember?” She stiffened, but nodded. “We can just question him again when he comes, then.”

            Vince's brows rose almost to his hairline. He shifted his gaze to Sprite as well, noting the obvious pink stain along her cheeks. “Sprite, is that true?” His tone had sobered considerably, his stare intent and even protective.

            She took a deep breath and nodded, running a hand through her hair. “H-He did say that, but I d-dismissed it as simple p-posturing and idle threats. I d-doubt, even as arrogant as he is, that he would c-come looking for me.”

            He gave her a long, assessing look before conceding to her logic with a shrug. “Alright Sprite, but if he starts giving you any trouble or you think you're being watched or followed, you tell us. Got it?”

            She swallowed heavily and nodded, dropping her gaze quickly in discomfort. She still wasn't used to being around people that actually seemed to care about her, although she was sure it was merely as a member of the team. It wouldn’t be good publicity to lose a member so soon to rampaging villains. Satisfied, Vince questioned Chief Tundra for some of his observations and thoughts about the interrogation. Sprite quickly realized that he was leaving it to her to tell Vince about the kiss.

            She wrestled with herself, trying to force the words to come. She needed to tell Vince about it, if only to prevent it from becoming a PR disaster. Besides, she could make it seem like nothing, and no one could question her logic at the time. After all, it wasn't her fault he hadn't really given her anything worthwhile, as far as they knew.

            “V-Vince,” she finally said, and squeezed her hands together. “Th-There was an... incident today at the prison. Derecho, h-he wanted a k-kiss in exchange for the information we g-gave you earlier. There was n-nothing more to it than that, but I f-felt you should know.”

            She forced herself to look up at Vince, biting her lower lip nervously. He sat completely still, cigar paused halfway to his mouth as he stared at her. After a moment, he finally blinked and took a deep draw, blowing out a steady stream of smoke.

            “Well,” he mumbled, “this is gonna be interesting to explain to the press.” Vince rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Alright, we can play this off. He made it obvious why you guys were kissing, right?” They nodded. “Good, that's good. So, we just make sure to say it was some kinda attempt at interrogation technique. No one should think anything more of it, and since he's in prison, he shouldn't draw anymore attention to the whole thing,” he said decisively.

            “W-What about the t-tape?” she asked quietly.

            He shooed away her concerns with one hand. “You just let me worry about that, doll face. Now, anything else yous guys need to tell me?” They shook their heads. “Alright then. We'll go over this again tomorrow, after I see what kind of underground information Okage and I can find. There's not a lot to go on, but we might get lucky.”

            Sprite and Chief Tundra stood, understanding the unspoken dismissal. Vince waved an absent-minded goodbye as he turned to his computer and began typing, still puffing on his cigar.

            They bid each other farewell in the lobby and separated, Chief Tundra heading for their hidden exit and Sprite making her way to her room. Just as she predicted, there was plenty of time for her to change and take Tesla to the dog park.

            The excited golden retriever was already bouncing around the room the moment she opened the door. His entire back end wagged with his tail, pink tongue lolling from his mouth as he eagerly licked her hands. He had learned through experience that her suit, crafted from an experimental superconductive material from her research lab, tasted horrible.          

            Sprite knelt down and hugged him fiercely, stroking along his silky golden coat as a sense of peace settled over her. She kissed the top of his furry head and stood, a smile breaking over her features. “C'mon, boy, we're going to the park,” she told him cheerfully. His ears perked up and he whuffed happily, turning a quick circle and wagging his tail harder as he looked up at her.

            She petted his head again and went into her room to change. With a little electrical manipulation, she was able to hide her suit beneath her t-shirt and jeans. Once she was certain her alter ego, Katerina, was safe to walk the streets, she snapped on Tesla's leash and hurried to the hidden exit.

            Set up in a key-card maintenance floor of an apartment building that Vince owned, the hidden entrance and exit of the SAFE house was a well-guarded secret. The team members used it to move freely from headquarters in their civilian clothes, further protecting their secret identities. They could easily access the basement through the elevator or stairwell, using their key-cards to open the nondescript door to the tunnel leading to SAFE. Vince had been beyond proud of himself for the design.

            Katerina headed to the dog park, determined to let herself enjoy the time with Tesla. Since she had joined SAFE, it had become increasingly difficult to spend any significant time with him. She would simply put everything from her mind and relax for a few hours.

 

            Later that night, Katerina walked into the tunnel to SAFE, a tired but happy smile on her face. Tesla had run himself out chasing every squirrel and rabbit in the park, and then with a game of fetch with a new tennis ball. She had let him carry the ball home, tail still wagging gently in happiness as he walked beside her.

            She waved hello to Okage and Salvation as she passed them heading into the training room to spar. The deep charcoal of Okage's modified gi contrasted sharply with the pure white of Salvation's mech suit, his ornate red and black Han mask with her sleek helmet and grey visor. Even their heights were in contrast, he at five feet six and her armor topping eight feet. Katerina believed that was why they chose to spar together; their differences forced one another to utilize their strategy skills to compensate. They waved back before disappearing into the room, Okage keeping his distance from Tesla. He had revealed a phobia of dogs, and she did her best to ease it by keeping Tesla away from him.

            She led Tesla up the stairs and into their suite, chuckling softly when he bypassed his food bowl to flop down on his bed. She gave him his dinner, sliding the food and water bowls close to him. As he ate his fill, she fixed her typical supper of fish and rice, settling back on the couch with a tall glass of ice water.

            Now that she had a spare moment, her thoughts began racing. Her primary focus was Derecho and the angle he must have to behave the way he had. What did he have to gain from telling her a name with the condition that she remain silent? At worst, she would tell her team and it would turn out to be nothing, and they could question her judgment. At best, they would... find an actual villain? How would that help Derecho? He was a mercenary, and they had made an industry built upon serving their own self-interest.

            So what was his interest here? Was it just to see her humiliated with false information? That didn't hold up to logic, though. He didn't know her and couldn't have formed a grudge against her out of everyone on the team, especially so quickly. She momentarily entertained the idea that he had developed some kind of interest in her, but dismissed it for the same reasons as the grudge possibility. There seemed to be no easy answer, but he must want something.

            As she pondered the dilemma, she had to stop her train of thought and force it back to her logical process. Her mind seemed too interested in straying back to the kiss she had traded to the mercenary, replaying the moment over and over. The press of his lips against hers, the soft feel of her hair buffeted by a gentle breeze he created, the tingle that had suffused her body. No matter how she tried to corral her thoughts, they returned to the outrageous mercenary.

            After over an hour of this, Katerina finally glanced up at the clock and realized how late it was. With a deep sigh, she rose from the couch and stretched, drawing a sleepy glance from Tesla before he yawned and sat up. She put her dishes in the sink and went into her room, changing into pajamas and leaving her suit draped over her desk chair. As she crawled into bed, she heard Tesla's claws click on the linoleum as he walked from the kitchen to her room and jumped up to join her. With simultaneous sighs, they settled onto the bed and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3 - New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has decided they want to see more of Sprite.

A heavy pounding on the front door jolted Katerina from a sound sleep, Tesla jumping from the bed to hover near the bedroom door. Blinking blearily, she rose and stumbled into her front room, taking care to avoid Tesla as he darted before her as though to protect her. A glance at the clock showed that it was just past eight, and she wondered if the morning meeting had been moved forward from ten.  


A quick look through the peephole showed Burt at the door. She opened it quickly, her mind swiftly shifting into alertness. “W-What's wrong?”  


Burt looked concerned, the older ex-Marine's face lined with worry. There was a sprinkling of grey in his close-shaved black hair, his dark skin a rich, complementary coffee-brown. His brown eyes assessed her and then he glanced down the hall, holding a hand up to prevent her from poking her head beyond her doorway.  


“There's a...situation. May I come in?”  


“Oh, o-of course,” she stammered and stepped further back into her room. He entered and quickly shut the door.  


He turned to her, speaking softly and rapidly. “Ten minutes ago, the mercenary you interrogated, Derecho, showed up here. He was released this morning for some kind of legal loophole. He's asking for Sprite.”  


Katerina felt her mouth go dry, her head suddenly too light for her body. Derecho was here? He was here...and asking for her? She shook her head. No, he wasn't asking for her, he was asking for Sprite. A man like Derecho would never want a woman like Katerina. Not that she would ever want him to, of course.  


“Katerina? What do you want to do?” Burt's voice, worried and insistent, broke into her thoughts.  


She flopped onto her couch and buried her face in her hands. “W-What is he saying, exactly? Why c-can't we get rid of h-him?”  


Burt sighed and ran his hand over the top of his head. “He just keeps asking for Sprite and says he has important information he will only tell her. We can't get rid of him because he isn't doing anything illegal or even wrong.  


“Our doors are open to anyone with information to offer or who is in need of help. Normally, Brit or I would field these requests and collect what is needed, but he won't speak to anyone except you,” he said. There was a heavy pause, and then he continued, “Katerina, there is a very good chance we need to know whatever he wants to tell us. I know about the, uh, incident yesterday, but if you can be selfless one more time, we would greatly appreciate it.”  


Katerina raked her fingers through her short hair and felt Burt's intense stare on the top of her head. She was certain she wouldn't have to kiss him again, but she would still have to face him. As much as she would like to keep her distance, she knew she couldn't deny her team or herself the information they needed to prevent the hidden villain's plan from occurring.  


“I-I'll see him,” she murmured, forcing herself to breathe deeply and evenly. “J-Just...tell him I'll b-be there in a few m-minutes.”  


She heard Burt move closer, and felt the heavy weight of his hand on her shoulder. He squeezed briefly before withdrawing. “Thank you, Katerina.”  


A soft, mirthless laugh escaped her as she stood, Tesla hovering around her legs. “Y-You should wait until after I g-get something, if I d-do.”  


He paused by the door, hand on the knob as he turned to look at her. His brown eyes caught and held hers, slowly shaking his head. “You have more strength than you give yourself credit for. Remember that.” He maintained his gaze for another moment, and then let himself out, closing the door quietly behind him.  


Katerina stood for several seconds blinking at the door, confused and warmed by Burt's comment. Praise in any form set her off-balance, as rare as it had been for her growing up in foster homes and the orphanage, surrounded by cold sterility and routine. Finally, with a rough shake, she forced her thoughts away from her past and back to what was coming.  


She stroked along Tesla's back and gave him a rawhide bone to enjoy while she was gone, smiling as he took his treat to the pet bed and contentedly began gnawing. She went into the bathroom and quickly performed her hygiene regimen. That done, she moved into the bedroom. Her suit required only a little extra manipulation to slide easily over her skin, the mask firmly attached to her face with the same flow of electricity.  


Sprite smoothed her hands along her suit, still somewhat amazed that she had literally created it from scratch. When she had still been employed in Johnson Labs, they had bought her doctorate project of creating a new superconductor and funded her to continue it. She had eventually made it work, and after the accident that had given her her powers, she had taken some of the sample and learned how to manipulate it. Vince had insisted on a few changes once she joined the team, like the new colors and the extreme amount of cleavage shown, but it was still her suit.  


With a final glance in the mirror, Sprite sighed and left her suite, telling Tesla she would be back soon as she closed the door behind her. She made her way into the main area of the building, assuming that they had taken Derecho into the general conference room. As she walked, she mentally prepared herself for the flirtatious mercenary, determined to not be caught off-guard by his outrageous ways. And equally as determined not to give him another kiss, no matter how much it had affected her before.  


The muffled sound of several people speaking at once slowly grew louder as she approached the conference room, confirming her assumption. She paused before the door to take one last deep breath, bringing a small measure of peace to her mind before she turned the handle and pushed. The muffled voices stopped the moment the door swung open, and Sprite felt her mouth go dry the instant she realized she really was going to talk to him again.  


A quick glance around showed that Salvation was absent, but the rest of the team was present and agitated, their equilibrium thrown off by this unprecedented occasion. Chief Tundra had situated himself between Seismic and Derecho, his arms crossed over his chest and brow furrowed with worry. Seismic was leaning against a wall, glaring at the mercenary while a small collection of pebbles swirled angrily before her. Aegis and Okage stood on either side of Derecho at the table, their bodies tense as they stayed alert for any movement from him. Vince was beside the door, puffing furiously on a cigar, and turned abruptly to face her once she entered.  


“Hey, doll,” he said quietly. “I know Burt told you, but we got ourselves a bit of a situation here. Do you think you can work some kinda magic on this guy again?” His accent was thick, and he seemed more nervous than the others, his eyes constantly returning to Derecho as he exhaled cigar smoke like a chimney.  


She looked toward the table, and Derecho's dark eyes locked onto hers and a wide smile broke over his face. Even though he was in the same clothes he had been arrested in, black mask perfectly in place to protect his identity, he was still a sinfully handsome man. Sprite could feel something within her drawn to him, an intense longing that yearned to caress that stubbled jaw, run fingers through his silky black hair, kiss the dimple in his right cheek. She mentally shook herself, ashamed that she was having such inappropriate thoughts about a criminal.  


“Ah, _mi ángel_ ,” he said grandly, moving as though to rise from his chair. The heroes on his sides immediately placed hands on his shoulders and held him in place. He looked at each man and then to Sprite. “You see, _ángel_? You see how they distrust Derecho, even though he comes to you with information?” He looked to her mournfully. “ _Por favor_ , tell them to let me go. Derecho will not share until he feels comfortable.” Derecho crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, one dark brow arched in challenge.  


Sprite swallowed with some difficulty, refusing to acknowledge the tiny thrill in her gut from his pet name for her. It was most likely a ploy, something he would use to humiliate her later by attempting to build some kind of rapport. Steeling her spine, she approached the table and seated herself across from Derecho, raising her chin with a defiance she didn't feel. She caught the small tilt of his lips at her actions, but ignored him and addressed her teammates.  


“I-It's...” she squeaked, and stopped to clear her throat. Derecho's lips tilted infinitesimally more. “I-It's alright. J-Judging by his previous actions in the p-prison, he will only s-seek to embarrass one of y-you or me, and then b-be on his way. There is no r-reason to restrain him.” The others stared at her for a moment, but accepted her logic in the end. Okage and Aegis gave the mercenary slightly more space, and Seismic stopped swirling her pebbles so quickly. Chief Tundra moved a few steps to the side, positioning himself near Vince.  


Derecho shook his head slowly, the smile returning in full force. “ _Mi ángel_ , did you think that was why Derecho came here today?” A dramatic wave of his hand. “No, no! Derecho came to give you the gift of information, the information you were seeking from me,” he said, and leaned forward, dropping his voice to a stage whisper. “The information about the contract …and my employer.”  


There was a beat of utter stillness, each hero mentally withdrawing for a moment as they allowed the offer to process. One by one, Sprite felt their eyes turn toward her, the attention flooding her face with heat. She swallowed heavily and forced herself to meet Derecho's dark gaze. “I-If I recall c-correctly, you said that y-you had signed a non-d-disclosure agreement on that c-contract and would not d-discuss it just yesterday.”  


Everyone turned back toward Derecho, and she felt a surge of annoyance. This wasn’t a tennis match. There was something going on here, and Derecho could very well be deceiving them.  


The mercenary shrugged. “This is true, _querida_ , but Derecho has decided that it would be more prudent to seek employment on the better side of the law,” he grinned and cocked an eyebrow up. “You could say that the time in prison has helped Derecho greatly. I am a changed man.”  


Sprite couldn’t stop herself from scoffing. “Y-you were there barely a n-night. How much c-could change? And h-how did you get out so qu-quickly?”  


He leaned forward on the table, dark gaze meeting hers with such intensity she felt her mouth go dry. She watched as his eyes moved over her face, could almost feel them stroking over her cheek and across her lips before returning to meet her stare. “ _Querida_ , you can only imagine how much a single night can change a person.” The heat simmering in the depths of his eyes made her wonder, just for a hopeful moment, if he could be talking about more than his incarceration.  


She swallowed heavily and blinked, looking down at her hands and breaking whatever spell he seemed to have weaved over her mind. Sprite ran back through the conversation before his derailment and schooled her features into neutral interest when she finally looked back at him. “W-Well, that’s lovely to hear, b-but we need concrete evidence that y-you aren’t p-playing some game for y-your own amusement. W-Why the change of m-mind?”  


He seemed to search her face intently, and then sighed as he reclined in the chair. “Derecho has decided that it would be more fun and less prison-inducing to help you, _querida_. My lawyer is very good at his job, as I am at mine. He arranged a deal of sorts with the police, and that is all you need to know. You must decide if you will listen to my words. Naturally, there will be some compensation for Derecho.” He winked at her and Sprite felt her breath catch for just a moment before she ground her teeth together. She would not let him know how much he affected her, if she could help it.  


Vince, who had been oddly quiet for the exchange, appeared at her side in an aura of cigar smoke and irritation. “So, what, you want cash or something? We ain’t too keen on being taken advantage of here, De-Rachel,” he stated, waving the cigar at Derecho as he spoke.  


The mercenary’s face went blank for a moment, and then he smacked the table as he laughed deeply, shocking everyone else into jumping slightly. He waggled a finger at Vince, who narrowed his eyes. “Derecho will need to teach the manager how to pronounce my name. A proper lesson, after I have made my desires clear.”  


His smile dropped, and he lightly tapped the table in front of him to punctuate his sentences. “Wait until I finish to interrupt. There are three demands. One, that Derecho will be involved with all parts of the investigation and apprehension. Two, that SAFE will help Derecho not be caught and murdered for his help during or after the investigation.”  


Vince was nodding along, puffing thoughtfully, until Derecho finished, “Three, that Derecho always works with _señorita_ Sprite.”  


Vince’s face turned red as he snarled around the cigar. Seismic looked torn between amusement and anger while Aegis glared at the mercenary. Okage crowded into Derecho’s personal space, arms crossed and mask unreadable, as Chief moved to stand between Vince and Sprite, her brow furrowed and face pale. All the while, Derecho remained in his seat, his expression calm and serious as he met the eyes of everyone in the room.  


“What kinda game do ya think this is? Ya think ya got the sac to call the shots here, that it?” Vince finally shouted, Chief placing a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from moving toward Derecho. He jerked away, shaking a fist. “This ain’t ya’s personal datin’ soivice, bub. This is a team of crime fighters and ya need to learn some damn respect before I gotta beat it inna ya.”  


Derecho folded his hands on the table, face unchanged. “Derecho means what he says. There will be much to do when we go after the boss man, and for this to work, Derecho must work with the _señorita_.” He held up a hand when Vince opened his mouth. “The boss, he is like Sprite. We will need to work together to defeat him. She knows how to do what he does, and Derecho knows how he thinks and where he will be. So, a team must be made.”  


Chief and the others turned to Vince, now chomping on the end of his cigar. He pointed to Aegis and growled, “Take him in the other room. We gotta have a minute without his smug face to talk about this. He tries anything, tie him up.” Aegis nodded, and he pulled Derecho to his feet and into an adjoining inner room.  


Vince pinched the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths before sinking into the chair beside Sprite. Chief Tundra gingerly reached out and patted her hand on the table. She hadn’t moved since Derecho’s final demand was made.  


A light trickling filled the air, and then Okage placed a tiny cup of water next to her hands. “Sprite, drink that. It’ll help.”  


She heard him as though from a great distance, something muffling her senses into dull incompetence. Her mind seemed to be lost in the confusion of the feelings the mercenary incited in her: fury for his presumption, bewilderment at his supposed interest, and the sinking fear that it was all a game, that he didn’t really want anything from her but was toying with her like a cat with a mouse.  


Certainty settled in from that final emotion. This was all a game to him. He had come here deliberately because he had found something in her that he wanted to break. He was exactly like the children at the orphanages, sensing when someone was weak and pushing them until they shattered.  


The fury was rising now. Who did he think he was? She had lived through that torment as a child and adolescent, she would not allow him to push her back into the person she had been then. She was tougher now, stronger and better in so many ways. Katerina would not allow him to take that from her.  


Her eyes finally focused on the white paper cup, and she moved to pick it up and drink from it, as ordered. Almost too quietly for her to hear, voices murmured around her.  


“Shoulda known, he was just playin’ us –”  


“We don’t know what villain he works for. There might be a real reason –”  


“The reason is to jerk us around! Damn merc’s are all the same.”  


“We don’t have to leave them alone. The rest of the team would always be there. What if we can stop this person now?”  


“Hey, shouldn’t we ask what Sprite wants to do?”  


There was a moment of silence, and then someone’s hand rested on her shoulder. It felt scalding hot, even through her suit, making her flinch slightly. Someone was calling her name, her superhero name, until she finally jerked and came back to herself.  


“I-I’m sorry, w-what?” She looked between the faces of those around her, dimly registering their expressions. Vince seemed furious, Chief puzzled, while Seismic appeared contemplative. She wasn’t sure what Okage was feeling, but no one did when he wore his mask.  


Chief gestured to the other room. “What do you want to do about him? We don’t wanna ask you to do anything you don’t want to, and he seems like a real jerk.” He frowned and scratched the back of his neck.  


Vince took a deep breath and said, “Chief’s right, doll. It’s your call. We wouldn’t let you two be alone, ever. He’s a jerk, but he’s also got information, and that’s a hot commodity in this business, especially this far in advance of supposedly impending, wide-scale criminal activity.” He sighed and rubbed the pad of his thumb along his jaw. “What do you think?”  


Before Sprite could even open her mouth, Seismic moved forward and stated, “We need what he has. There’s only one choice to make, if you want to be responsible.” Her hand waved toward Sprite’s head vaguely. “I know he makes everything get all mixed up because he’s a creep, but you can’t put your own comfort level above the good of the city, and the team. Just ignore his poking, and he’ll eventually stop like any other bully. It’s not that hard.”  


Sprite’s eyes snapped away from the door and glared into Seismic’s, tiny blue sparks spitting out and making the earth-controller take a step back. Katerina had had enough.  


She rose from her chair and began walking into Seismic, slowly forcing the taller woman to step away from her until they were almost to the wall. Sprite glared up into her alarmed hazel eyes and spoke softly, concentrating as hard as she could to minimize her stutter. “I know. I will do what’s r-right here. I can handle anything he does. However, I will not allow you or anyone h-here to force me into making a d-decision. I can handle a b-bully. D-Don’t become one.”  


Not giving her teammate the chance to respond, Sprite turned to Vince. “I’ll w-work with him. Let’s f-finish this.” She took her seat, and saw that Derecho and Aegis were already back in the room, apparently having entered during her outburst. Though she couldn’t stop the blush filling her face, she refused to look away. She needed to teach the mercenary that she wasn’t one to be bullied anymore.  


Derecho seemed buoyant, a slight spring in his step when he moved to his seat and sank down. A wide grin stretched over his face as he asked, “You will work with Derecho? Truly?”  


She nodded, and held up a when he went to speak. “I-I will, but n-not alone. We w-will always have at least one other m-member working with us. N-non-negotiable.”  


“Ah, you drive a hard bargain, _mi ángel_ , but Derecho will accept these terms as long as you are there,” he agreed and then waged a finger. “But only if you are there. Derecho will do nothing to help if you are not present, _querida_. Non-negotiable.” He winked.  


Sprite ignored that and gave a nod. “F-fine. When should we st-start?”  


“Now.” Derecho stood, sliding past the other heroes as he reached into an inner pocket of his jacket. “I have – ”  


The team tensed, Chief Tundra moving to block his path while Okage unsheathed his katana and held the tip to his chest. “What do you have there? Reveal it slowly.”  


The mercenary scowled, and then opened his jacket painfully slowly, using only the very tips of his fingers, to reveal a manila envelope. With great care, he pulled it from the pocket and laboriously drew out each syllable as he said, “This…is…information. Derecho is showing it to _señorita_ Sprite.”  


They begrudgingly allowed him to pass, and he plopped down in the seat beside Sprite, too close for her comfort. She assumed he did it deliberately and forced herself to stay still, ignoring the way his knee casually bumped into her own. Instead, she reached out for the envelope.  


He hesitated for just a moment, and she saw his eyes dart over her face, as though searching for something. Almost imperceptibly, concern seemed to flash over his expression before his usual grin popped back into place. With an eloquent flourish and nod, he passed her the envelope.  


She pulled out the documents within, cleanly printed and with a picture clipped to the front of a large, stern man. The photo was of him in costume, surrounded by beakers, tubing and equipment in some kind of laboratory. He was looking through several documents of his own, papers held in his gloved hands. Black hair, winged with grey at the temples, was swept back from a furrowed brow, a red mask covering the upper half of his face. The bottom half was clean-shaven, with deeply tanned skin and angular lines. What costume she could see was yellow, with red gloves and a red cape fastened to his broad shoulders. There was nothing that indicated he was any more dangerous than the other villains they had faced, but as she well knew, looks could be deceiving.  


Derecho tapped a finger against the pile, jerking her attention back to the matter at hand. “This, obviously, is Dr. Watt. Derecho was able to bribe one of his men into taking a photo.”  


Sprite raised the photo to eye level, taking in what details could be seen in the background. There was definitely an array of chemicals behind him, but everything in sight was too generic to narrow down a search. “You haven’t b-been in his l-lab?”  


“No, he would not allow me in there because he did not believe he could trust Derecho,” he sighed and placed a hand over his heart.  


“Sounds like he had it right there,” Seismic mocked behind them.  


“Tell me something,” Okage interjected. “You wouldn’t even tell us this man’s name before. How did you bribe a guard to take a photo of him?”  


A saucy wink. “Derecho has his ways. There will always be a price, and this was to be a simple exchange. The man had many children, and a college fund was greatly desired.”  


Vince leaned in, eyes alight. “You think you can get that guy to do some more recon for us? He’d get a good chunk of change for it.”  


Dark eyes looked down at abruptly clenched fists, muscles tensing in his body. “The guard was found dead two blocks from the drop site. It was thought to be electrocution.”  


The room fell silent, enough so that Sprite could hear the faint beating of her heart. She reached out, patting Derecho’s arm hesitantly before quickly withdrawing. He blinked and looked up, meeting her gaze and giving her a small nod. Then, his smile was in place as he continued speaking.  


Sprite wasn’t sure why, since she had no logical reasoning behind it, but it seemed like he used his smile to hide. She couldn’t imagine why, or even how, anyone could do that as much as he did. Perhaps she was imagining things.  


“I would not like to bring another man into this, given the record that stands. Besides,” he shrugged, “it would make Derecho’s finances suffer to bribe another man with a college fund.”  


“What, you’re actually keeping your end of the deal with the dead guard?” scoffed Seismic, arms crossed and legs splayed as she assessed Derecho. “Shouldn’t you be taking advantage of the fact that no one else knew about that deal and keep that money for yourself?”  


He slowly turned to face the woman, one dark brow arching higher and higher as his smile faded into a smirk. “Is that what you think of Derecho, _señorita_?” Quietly, just above a whisper, but each word coated in frost. “Derecho does not renege. Derecho has honor. They will receive their funds, and that was never to be questioned. Do you understand?”  


Seismic shifted her weight to one leg and pinned him with a glare. “Look, merc, you’re a bad guy we busted less than two days ago for being a money-grubbing ass. Sure, you’re bringing some stuff to us that might be good info, or it might be crap sent out to lure us into a trap.  
“Good for you that you have a code, but we don’t know what that is, and I for one am going to treat you like the low-level thug that you are until we can confirm everything you’ve told us. Get the fuck over it. You’re a bad guy, you’re gonna be treated like one until we know for sure you’re with us.” She flipped her long black ponytail over her shoulder and snatched the file from the table. On the way out, she gestured to Okage to follow her and they left together.  


There was a moment of silence as the remaining heroes considered her words. Vince eventually took his cigar out and scowled at Derecho. “Look, we gotta know why you’re here and doin’ this kinda flip. You’re a bad guy, for now, so spill it. Why should we trust you?”  


Derecho sighed heavily, putting a hand on his knee and the other palm up on the table. “Derecho is tired of this mistrust, but I suppose it is to be expected. Fine, you shall know why Derecho is here.”  


His gaze dropped from Vince’s face to Sprite’s as he continued, “There are things that I want, but must work to gain. The first step to the gaining is to become legitimately good, and this is the best way to do this. I shall renounce the old Derecho and be born anew!” He flashed them all a grin, and returned his gaze to Sprite, who was pointedly reading the remaining documents on the table.  


She could feel his eyes on her, a tingling beneath her skin, but would not give him the satisfaction of looking back. Instead, her gaze raced over the papers, soaking in the information to sort through later. He had no previous activities under the current name, and nothing seemed to have emerged from any past cold cases in the state. It appeared he was new to the city, with no mention of him in the underground before this week. Any longer, and there would have been tips from the police passed on to the teams of the city.  


Sprite was a little concerned that he had managed to establish a base of operations so quickly. The villain must be wealthier than most to have procured his needs that fast. She needed some indication of his worth, but there was only one person here with that information.  


Screwing up her courage, she took a deep breath and turned to Derecho. “W-What was his m-monetary offer to you? We n-need a precise amount to d-determine his possible assets.”  


He looked up for a moment, and then said, “I believe it was agreed that Derecho would be paid $1.2 million.”  


“F-For just wr-wrecking d-downtown?” she gasped. Vince let out a low whistle while Aegis’ mouth dropped and Chief Tundra’s eyes widened.  


Derecho nodded, his smile taking on a proud tilt. “That is on the lower end of Derecho’s scale. I only took it so that I could learn more about the man who would pay so much for such a small job.”  


Aegis leaned back in his chair, a frown visible beneath the visor of his helmet as he stroked his chin. “We could look into anyone throwing a lot of money around in general. Someone who can drop that much cash on a mercenary job has got to be doing everything as low key as possible.”  


He stood and nodded to Vince. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go get Salvation and we’ll help Okage and Seismic to start sifting through recent real estate purchases for anything that could pass as a villain’s secret lair of doom.” At Vince’s agreement, he left the room.  


Vince sighed heavily and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Alright, I think we can call this for today. Sprite, you take these and get that file from Seismic. Read it cover to cover before tomorrow’s update meeting.” She nodded and began piling the papers into a neat stack. “Chief, I want you to help Derecho here settle in at the motel down the street and take first shift of guard duty. I’ll send your replacement at six.”  


“Wait, wait!” Derecho exclaimed, shooting up from his chair. “Does this mean Derecho will not see Sprite until tonight?” He placed a hand over his heart, a pained expression on his face. “No, that is simply too long. Derecho cannot be so long without _mi querida_.” He extended his other hand to her, striking a Shakespearian pose of yearning. “Surely you cannot hope to torture Derecho in this way, _ángel del corazón_?”  


Sprite forced herself to continue straightening the papers, to not look at him. The less attention she paid him, the sooner he would grow weary of this game. “V-Vince is the boss. I-I will do what he s-says in this assignment. I s-suggest you do the s-same.” With that, she turned and walked out of the room without a backward glance.


End file.
